I feel like I repeat myself a lot, but you guys. Thoroughbreds are awesome.

I just finished my yearly pillaging of the Fédération Equestre Internationale, T.I.P, Pedigree Query, Jockey Club, New Zealand Studbook, Australian Thoroughbred registry, the Online names book and Equibase online databases in order to figure out just how many Thoroughbreds we get to watch jumping around one of the greatest cross-country tracks in the world on the greatest weekend all year—the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event on April 28-May 1.

I’ve been a part of the Thoroughbred rehoming “movement” for coming up on 20 years (Wow I’m old!), and so many things have changed in that time, but you know what hasn’t changed? Thoroughbreds running at four-star events. 

When the long format went away, I remember hearing about how Thoroughbreds wouldn’t have a place in eventing anymore, but my thought was that there is always a place for a budget-priced athletic horse with talent and promise.

It does seem like that is the case, because the total number of Thoroughbreds (including those who are unregistered and/or unraced) entered at Rolex Kentucky is 30 as of right now. Thirty. THIRTY! Out of 90 entrants, one-third are 100 percent Thoroughbred.

If I were to dig further, I would bet that a whole lot of those who aren’t full Thoroughbred are out of Thoroughbred mares, and I can just about guarantee that not one horse in the trot-up is without some significant Thoroughbred blood.

I was having a chat with Denny Emerson about whether or not the classic stamp of a Thoroughbred was available to American buyers any longer. You know the type—tall, big withers, good bone, quiet, trainable brain and SOUND who could compete on the world stage. I responded that I truly believed they were out there, but they were no longer a dime a dozen, and they were getting harder to find because more people were shopping for them.

More people on the backsides of racetracks across the country means that people are able to pick through for the nice(r) horses. Prior to the efforts of CANTER and many other groups, visiting the backside of the track was reserved for people who “knew a guy” (or gal) at the track. Lucky horse sellers and trainers would have a contact at the track who would let them see horses for sale when they were no longer competitive on the track.

Those with the contacts on the backside would cheaply buy the nice horse, and the unlucky lot they passed over would ship “down the road.”  There was a filtering system in place, but it resulted in the slaughter of thousands of horses that were not the perfect fit.

Now we’re seeing far more horses sold from the racetrack into sport horse homes— an exponential number leaving the track for a second career. Unfortunately many of those aren’t coming out of racing sound enough for an upper-level career (but might be fine for many other careers). Increased purses at lower-level tracks, year-round racing, advances in medications (both legal and illegal) mean that horses are running more often and in many cases beyond when they should retire. This in turn leaves a lot of horses who might be rehabilitated to have a lovely lower-level job, but they will not withstand the rigors of upper levels of sport.

The problem with the classic stamp of Thoroughbred—that stunning image of form following function—is that they make awfully good race horses, too. How many of us have watched the Kentucky Derby and thought, “I think Hard Spun wants to event!” or “Quality Road could DEFINITELY get a piece of the hack!”

So finding that perfect specimen is a challenge, but it’s not impossible, and looking at this list of Thoroughbreds entered in Rolex is proof positive of not only their existence, but their prepotency.

Going to the track with an educated eye, a budget for a thorough vetting, and understanding that the perfect specimen is no longer going to cost $700, and we might see you signed up to canter down centerline in front of some terrifying judges on America’s sport horse.

The Thoroughbreds of the 2016 Rolex Kentucky CCI****